Re: artificial trees

Hi Rufino
You to like most of us are trying to grow ferns that 'don't belong' in our
own climate. Some are easy adjusting, whereas others need an artificial
climate created for their survival.
Wim suffers like many in Europe and most of the US with that Arctic cold
which forces extremes of creation for fern survival for even Temperate zoned
species which we don't have to.
This then depends on the species grown to the individual tastes and
challenge.
Your climate is similar to mine and I grow hundreds of fern species from all
over the world in a shadehouse. Pot growing out or indoors is a great way
to grow some ferns, epiphytes need baskets or something to grow on, like
Platycerium.
These artificial trees, their construction and visual effect are an
interesting avenue for fern growers especially when there is no other
source.
I use baskets lined with willow roots for a hundred or so epiphytes, white
ant eaten hollow centred hardwood trees for Asplenium australasicum and flat
boards for my Platycerium. I do have plastic tunnel houses for the tropical
ferns which need additional warmth in my winter cold.
Another example of ingenuity is a South African friend who didn't have a
tree to grow his Platycerium on. He obtained a thick branched tree trunk,
dig a hole in the garden and buried it upright and mounted his Platyceriums
on it.
Kindest regards
Keith Rogers
Mannum South Australia
Keith's Fern Page is at
www.lm.net.au/~kerogers/
Supporting the Fern Society of South Australia on
www.chariot.net.au/~saufern/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rufino Osorio" <rufinofl@hotmail.com>
To: <ferns@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 12:52 AM
Subject: RE: [ferns] artificial trees
> Hello Wim,
>
> Asplenium nidus and Phlebodium aureum make beautiful indoor houseplants
when
> grown in pots. Both of them will take quite low humidity so long as they
are
> potted in a well-drained but rich, organic potting mix. I am surprised by
> the platycerium. Isn't growing most platyceriums indoors as houseplants
> somewhat like having an elephant for a pet?
>
> An artificially heated residential building is highly artificial and in no
> way resembles the natural environment of the plants you are trying to
grow.
> Trying to duplicate their natural environment by growing them as epiphytes
> on artificial trees seems like an extravagant waste of time and money.
>
> Select beautiful pots that complement the asplenium and the phlebodium.
Set
> the pots on attractive plant stands so that the foliage is close eye
level.
> Water them regularly but let the pots become almost, but not quite,
totally
> dry between waterings and very lightly fertilize them 2 or 3 times a year
> and, in 12-18 months, you will have magnificent specimen plants that are
the
> envy of all your friends. Such a set-up will give you far more beautiful
> plants and you won't have to worry about your "low-noise dripping system"
> springing a leak and gushing a few gallons of water onto your floor at
1:00
> AM.
>
> Of course an indoor epiphytic "garden" seems so wonderfully strange and
> exotic but do try to make an effort to give up the thrill of the new and
> replace it with the thrill of the great. In this case, "the new" consists
of
> plants struggling to grow epiphytically and "the great" consists of
> beautiful plants grown in pots.
>
> Very kind regards,
> Rufino
> Southern Florida
>
> >From: "Winter, Wim de" <Wim.dewinter@wisl.nl>
> >Reply-To: ferns@hort.net
> >To: <ferns@hort.net>
> >Subject: RE: [ferns] artificial trees
> >Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 12:48:00 +0200
> >
> >Thanks all for your critical remarks on the tree-building. I understand
the
> >motar(concrete?)-with-peat concept is at least not widely known. What I
> >still like about this idea is that it might but not necessarily must look
> >natural. However, I've got several technical construction problems left
to
> >master.
> >
> >The Chicago tree loogs great indeed, but I find it hard to thing of such
a
> >construct, be it of reduced size, in my living. The layered walls,
> >pvc-skeleton, moss, cork, sounds like a good idea. In my office I now
have
> >a branch of a natiral tree planted with Asplenium nidus, Platycerium
> >bifurcatum, and Phlebodium aureum. Thet are tied with a dot of sphagnum
to
> >the branch, but thet have a hard time for lack of available water. The
> >staghorn has actually dried close to death now.
> >
> >I suppose my heated indoor environment is a problem rather than supplying
a
> >foothold to the ferns or decorative issues. I wonder wether I could think
> >of an internal or external low-noise dripping system.
> >
> >I think I need to do some experiments. I will keep you informed but
please
> >be patient, the mind is faster than the hands (don't elaborate on that,
> >Bob!).
> >
> >regards,
> >
> >Wim0 de Winter
>
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